Removing soils and debris from compressible resilient surfaces such as carpet in a quick, easy and convenient manner can be particularly difficult. Part of the difficulty comes from the broad range of soils, which are found on these surfaces, and the ability of these soils to get entangled to the carpet which in turn, makes them hard to remove.
Unlike hard floor surfaces such as vinyl floors, hard wood floors or ceramic tiles, which are mainly covered with “loose” soils, compressible resilient surfaces contain both “loose soils” and “soils capable of entanglement”. By “loose soils” it is meant any soil, which sits freely on top of the surface to be cleaned and which can be displaced easily. Typical loose soils include food crumbs, sugar grains, cereals, paper, gravel, sand, grass and the like. By “soils capable of entanglement” it is meant any soil, which is trapped around, for example, carpet fibers and which cannot be displaced easily. Compressible resilient surfaces, such as carpets, have fibers causing loose soils to get snagged in the fibers. Typical soils capable of entanglement include human hair, pet hair, threads and the like.
The literature is replete with devices, such as vacuum cleaners or carpet sweepers, which can be used to remove particulate soils or debris and clean compressible resilient surfaces.
Vacuum cleaners generally require a connection to an electrical outlet to generate the airflow capable of transporting the particles. In addition, vacuum cleaners are relatively heavy and cumbersome, and consequently, are not convenient for everyday use. “Lighter” vacuum cleaners (having a weight of less than about 3 kg), which are battery operated, have been developed. Although these are more user-friendly in the sense that they are more maneuverable and easier to use, they are not very effective at removing large particles.
Light weight sweepers have also been developed, which typically include a rotating brush, which is located in the front of the sweeper and which can be either electrically or mechanically driven. The rotating brush includes bristles, which throw or kick particles into a collection bin. Once the user has finished cleaning a carpet, he or she can empty the bin into a trash container. However, it has been observed that hair tends to wrap around the rotating brush. Over time, the rotating brush becomes saturated with hair, and, as a result, it reduces the ability of the rotating brush and its bristles to throw or kick particulates into the collection bin. Eventually, a user needs to remove by hand the hair entangled in the bristles of the brush. The process of removing wrapped hair from a brush is both inconvenient and unhygienic. In order to prevent hair from getting entangled on the rotating brush, some carpet sweepers include continuous rotating blades as opposed to individual bristles. These sweepers are relatively effective at throwing or kicking particulate soils or debris into a collection bin but they require a source of mechanical or electrical energy for rotating a brush or blades.
It is therefore one object of this invention to provide a cleaning implement which is used with a collection member or members, which is preferably disposable, for removing particulate soils, or debris and/or soils capable of entanglement from compressible resilient surfaces in a convenient and hygienic manner.
It is also one object of the invention to provide a cleaning implement capable of removing particulate soils, or debris and/or soils capable of entanglement from a compressible resilient surface without requiring any mechanical or electrical source of power.